New Fiction Idea #43

You know they're good names when spellcheck doesn't know any of them.

Working Title: They That Swim

Genre: Fantasy

Protagonist: Chlodovech, A young man who is undergoing some training to be a a metalworker. He's prone to pick fights, though only with those he deems to be at a similar level of prowess.

Other Main Characters: Folcher, Chlodovech's constant companion. More impressive in stature than the protagonist, he's meek, easily embarrassed, and loyal. He's a tanner by trade.
Hulderic, the mentor figure. He's going grey and looks older than he is, but he's still strong and a strategist. A refugee from a war with the neighbouring nation (from which most people have moved on), he has a personal grudge against They That Swim and is, coincidentally, a widower.
Hildegard, the object of Chlodovech's affections. She's pretty but heavyset, and, since she comes from a richer family, he doesn't have much hope in pursuing her. She's a talented seamstress and witty but not terribly good at anything else.

Antagonist: Braith, a TTS with a serious (and typical) grudge against humans. She is behind a recent string of disappearances, and, while she doesn't do a lot of her work personally, she'll never just sit back and manage the TTSs under her.

Setting: Standard fantasy-type medieval Europe such and such. The main magical creatures are They That Swim (mermaid-like), They That Fly (human-like with feathers for hair and winged arms), and They That Dig (like anthropomorphised moles). Humans have serious issues with all of them, but TTF mostly keep to themselves, and TTD are actually quite helpful when given the chance. But, due to the extraordinary powers of TTS (such as fountain-of-youth type effects that can be harnessed), humans have had a long history of exploiting them, and they have become quite an enemy, few as they are by now.

Plot: A recent string of disappearances along the coastal area is finally linked to TTS, but Chlodovech doesn't see sufficient reason to involve himself until Hildegard and her family go missing. He sets off to find the TTSs responsible and save her (and the others, too, if he has to).

Point of View: Third person, either omniscient or limited to Chlodovech.

Also, happy 200th post!